NOVPUBSedina’s eyes turned into dots from sheer shock at my confession (or what she interpreted as one).
Her mouth formed an upside-down triangle.
She was visibly shaken.
I understood completely.
If someone you trusted with absolute sincerity suddenly said, “Actually, I’m not your boss. I’m an industrial spy,” anyone would react the same.
Logically speaking, it would’ve made more sense to keep this truth hidden.
I should’ve waited, earned Sedina’s full trust over time, and only revealed everything when I was absolutely sure she wouldn’t betray me.
But after our earlier conversation, I realized one thing:
There was a crack—irreparable and deep—in Sedina’s blind faith in the Black Dawn Society.
And the moment I saw that, I decided to accelerate my plans.
Now that the Zero Order has come all the way to Seorn, I can’t afford to move leisurely anymore.
This was a gamble, made in the heat of the moment.
But it was a gamble that had to succeed.
“W-what do you mean by that, Professor? That’s... a bit too much of a joke, isn’t it?”
“It’s not a joke. I’m not the First Order you thought I was.”
Sedina tried to deny reality, but maybe because of my hands still resting on her shoulders, she couldn’t bring herself to run from it.
“I’m not John Doe. I’m not part of the Black Dawn Society. The identity you’ve believed in this whole time was a lie.”
Sedina’s face turned pale as the reality sank in.
“Th-then... you’ve been deceiving me all this time?”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
She suddenly shoved my hands away and turned to flee the office.
I didn’t stop her.
I didn’t chase her or reach out to stop her.
I simply watched.
“Haa... haa...”
Sedina gripped the doorknob.
But she didn’t leave.
Even though she could have escaped.
Even though she could have run out and exposed me.
The slight trembling of her shoulders made it clear just how shaken she was.
I called her name.
“Sedina.”
“Why...?!”
She burst out.
A voice louder than I’d ever heard from her.
If I hadn’t pre-cast a soundproofing spell, even the best walls wouldn’t have kept that shout from echoing through the hallway.
Her breathing was ragged as she screamed.
“Why did you deceive me?! Manipulate me?! Then who the hell have I been serving all this time—?!”
“Sedina. You still haven’t answered my question.”
“What question?!”
She whipped her head toward me.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
It must have been both shocking and devastating.
Of course it was.
To find out that the person you looked up to and trusted the most was fake—how could that not break your heart?
Even I would be overwhelmed with betrayal.
And yes, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel any guilt.
Maybe it would’ve been better to just let our false relationship continue.
But I had made my decision.
To offer a brutal truth, rather than a convenient lie.
“Sedina. The person you truly want to follow—is it me, standing before you now? Or is it the First Order of the Black Dawn?”
“Of course it’s—!”
She stopped mid-sentence and bit her lip.
“Of course...”
Of course?
She couldn’t say it.
Once a crack forms, it can never return to its original state.
It only grows larger.
“Then let me ask one thing. Was all your loyalty up to now a lie?”
“That’s...”
“Sedina. Until just now, you believed I was the First Order. And yet, when faced with the opportunity to leave the Black Dawn behind, you hesitated.”
At that, Sedina flinched.
“You must know what happens to traitors inside the Black Dawn Society. Of course you do.”
It was Sedina, after all, who had approached me on my first day at Seorn and relayed all the intel.
“And yet, you still hesitated. Even when you could’ve been branded a traitor. You made the right choice.”
“......”
“You know it too. That your actions until now weren’t born out of true devotion to the organization.”
Sedina had no rebuttal.
I had struck the heart of the matter.
“That’s why I gave you the right answer as well. A response called ‘truth.’ Do you still think I was deceiving you?”
“What is it... that you want from me?”
Sedina managed to regain some composure and asked.
Did she think I would demand something now that she knew the truth?
“It’s simple. Just keep bringing me information about them.”
And of course, if you’re going to receive, you should give.
“In return, I’ll help you get your revenge.”
“...The Black Dawn will help me achieve my revenge.”
“Will they really? If they were going to help you, why have they treated someone as capable as you like a tool to discard?”
Sedina knew it.
She knew how the organization had treated her.
“Sedina. I value your abilities. I know you must’ve worked incredibly hard to get here. Even when no one else acknowledged you.”
“...!”
At those words, Sedina’s pupils trembled as though shaken by an earthquake.
Yes.
Sedina’s greatest desire wasn’t revenge.
“Which is why, as someone who acknowledges you, I say this.”
What she wanted was recognition.
To be seen.
To prove that her efforts meant something—that she got this far through her own power.
“You’ve worked hard. You’ve done incredibly well.”
At that, Sedina couldn’t hold back anymore and began to cry.
She’d always tried to act mature, to act strong.
But in the end, she was no different from the students I’d always seen.
Just another child.
* * *
It was a long time before Sedina’s tears finally stopped.
Ludger handed her a handkerchief.
“As your teacher... as an adult, I’ll help you achieve your goal. Will you walk with me?”
Sedina looked down at the handkerchief, then quickly wiped her tears away.
Her red-rimmed eyes met Ludger’s.
Clear. Steady. Unwavering.
“...Yes.”
Her small hand took his.
“I will follow you.”
“Good. It seems we now share another secret between us.”
“...What should I do now?”
“Act as you always have. Officially, I’m still the First Order of the Black Dawn.”
“Th-then, Professor Ludger... the real John Doe, I mean... John Doe...”
Even now, despite having turned her back on the Society, it wasn’t easy for her to drop the honorifics.
Sedina quickly corrected herself.
“...What happened to him?”
That was the part she truly wanted to know.
As far as she was aware, the real First Order—John Doe—was supposed to be the one coming to Seorn.
And under the identity of Ludger Cherish.
“Don’t tell me... that train bombing...”
“Yes.”
Since she deserved to know, Ludger began explaining everything.
How John Doe had been caught up in the Liberation Army’s attack on the train.
And how, due to a series of circumstances, he had taken on that identity in his place.
“Th-that’s ridiculous...”
Sedina staggered, dizzy with the weight of it all.
She had once held an idealized image of the First Order.
“I was careless too... but still, the Liberation Army had to strike at that exact time...”
John Doe had fallen from the Arret Mountains during the suicide bombing incident.
In all likelihood, he had died.
“Then... what is your goal, Professor Ludger? Why continue to teach at Seorn...?”
“My goal is to eliminate the Black Dawn Society.”
Ludger’s true purpose was to collect the fragments of the Relic—but that was something he planned to share later, once he ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) introduced her to the others.
“Then... who are you really?”
Sedina asked in a trembling voice.
“For now, I’m Ludger Cherish.”
“...So I’m still not ready.”
“In time, you’ll come to understand.”
Compared to his relationship with the other executive members, Ludger’s relationship with Sedina was unusual.
While the others were bound by shared purpose and mutual respect, Ludger and Sedina had joined hands knowing each other’s weaknesses.
But that didn’t mean there was no trust.
“I understand. I’ll act as usual for now.”
Sedina responded firmly.
No matter what, she had boarded the same ship as Ludger.
She had no choice but to do her best. 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
Still... it’s incredible.
Sedina had always looked at Ludger with a mix of awe and reverence.
His ability, insight, charisma—
He lacked nothing.
That’s why I was sure he was the First Order.
But it turns out, he wasn’t.
Which meant he had managed to impersonate the First Order this entire time without being found out.
That’s even more unbelievable.
She had already known he was amazing.
But now that she’d seen the truth, Ludger seemed even more awe-inspiring.
To the point where she felt a kind of fear.
But—
He acknowledged me.
He saw how hard she had worked.
He reached out and comforted her.
It was that sincerity that helped her bury the anger and despair of betrayal.
He chose to tell me the truth, even knowing it might hurt him. That means... he truly cares about me.
That warmth, something she had never felt in her life, struck her deeply.
In this moment, Sedina’s goal had changed.
Her original purpose was to follow the First Order of the Black Dawn.
But not anymore.
Now, it was as one person to another—
To respect and follow the man named Ludger Cherish.
It was a new imperative, etched into her soul.
“Then, to reset our relationship, let me introduce myself. I’m Ludger Cherish, a teacher at Seorn.”
“Sedina Roschen... no. My name is Sedina Plante.”
“Your mother’s surname?”
“Yes. It’s a name known to no one. Just me... and my late mother.”
To say that name—
It was proof that she now trusted Ludger with all her heart.
* * *
Having left Ludger’s office, Vierno replayed their conversation in his mind.
He said he’d ask her... but I doubt it’ll produce the outcome I hoped for.
Vierno knew.
That Sedina was wary of him, and that she trusted Ludger deeply.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone.
Miss Sedina is surely... of her bloodline.
In the elf kingdom deep within the forest, there were seven elders who served the World Tree’s roots.
Vierno’s Dentis family was one of those seven.
And in his memory, there was one more name—
The Plante family, the thickest and oldest of the roots.
It was believed that the daughter of House Plante went missing after the racial wars... and now, I find her child here of all places.
And with the name Roschen, no less.
It must’ve been the Roschens who bought her with a large sum from the underworld, raising her as their own.
He trembled with rage at their cruelty—but that wasn’t the point.
The point was that he had found a blood descendant of the Plante family.
And that she was here at Seorn.
Yet Sedina did not trust him, a fellow elf.
She didn’t dislike him—but there was clear reluctance.
Having lived as a half-elf, she must’ve endured prejudice and mistreatment for years. It’s only natural she’d be wary, even of other elves.
The surprising part was how deeply she trusted Ludger.
He really is incredible. To earn such trust from a girl as guarded as her...
And after speaking with him, Vierno had no doubt:
Ludger genuinely cared for Sedina.
But he didn’t know what power she truly held.
He had no idea what the name Plante meant.
Should I tell him?
Vierno hesitated.
Should he hint at the truth to Ludger, Sedina’s guardian?
But if he did, Ludger’s attitude toward Sedina might change.
Though... he doesn’t strike me as someone who’d change so easily.
Still—if Sedina’s hidden name was Plante, everything changed.
Even a man like Ludger might be shaken by that truth.
He’d probably be shocked if I told him now. Better to wait. If I speak too soon, it might only make things worse.
Vierno decided to let the truth rest for now.
Even Ludger would need time to be ready.
He could explain later, once they were closer.
Maybe I’ll bring some special tea leaves from the forest next time as a gift.
Sharing a pot of tea together might not be such a bad idea.
Even if Ludger’s tastes were the sort old men would enjoy.
Unaware of that, Vierno still held a faint hope—
That Ludger and Sedina would both be happy.
